The
Love of a Father
See what great
love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children
of God!
1 John 3:1
Sixty-five year old, Dick Hoyt crossed
the finish line a fraction of a second behind his son. The
satisfaction in his eyes was due to the smile on Rick’s face.
Father and son have competed in more
than twenty-four Boston Marathons, two hundred twelve Triathlons,
fifteen of them being the ‘Iron Man Triathlon’ in Hawaii, have
skied in cross-country events, and gone mountain climbing.
When you add all the miles jogged,
swum, biked, and skied, their accomplishment is noteworthy. But what
makes it extraordinary is that every mile is completed with Dick
pushing Rick in a wheelchair, towing him in a dingy, and carrying him
on the handlebars of his bike. You see, Rick is a quadriplegic.
This amazing love story began when one
of Rick’s classmates was paralyzed in an accident, and the school
organized a charity run for him. As Rick watched the race he pecked
out on his computer, “Dad, I want to do that!”
Dick, a self-proclaimed porker,
couldn’t run a mile, let alone five! But the smile on his son’s
face was a great motivator. After their first race, Rick typed, “Dad,
when we were running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!”
So each weekend the duo is engaged in
some form of competition; a father loving on his son with all his
heart, a son reveling in his father’s great love.
†
As a father I can say I have loved my
children with a special love, spending precious time with them,
building strong bonds of love.
Today’s story is a lesson in
lavishing. Dick exemplified the Father, loving extravagantly, giving
generously of himself, holding nothing in reserve so his son could
experience life to its fullest.
It is this same love that compels our
Heavenly Father to call us sons and daughters, heirs to the Kingdom
of Christ. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son”, so all His other children have the right to call Him
Father.
Prayer
“Thank You, Father, for
a love I don’t quite comprehend, but so desperately need. Thank You
for sending Jesus to make a way for me to be called Your child.
Amen.”
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